Solidarity

[Ginne]

I just realized that, despite a request from GB (aka Droopy), I haven't written my summary of Solidarity yet!  

Luckily for me (and everyone else!) Arria posted screen caps on NickFallin.com, so this should be fairly easy for me to remember! However, if I don't get finished with it tonight, please forgive me--I've got a cold, and may not get through the whole story in one sitting!  8)

Anyway, to begin . . .

[Ginne]

Let me begin by saying that I'm going to skip over certain parts of the story--namely James and his nephew, and I'll just briefly touch on Nick's case at F&A, only on how it relates to his case at LSP, because he does run into a conflict of interest there.

We start with Barbara hearing on the radio that she has just won tickets to the sold-out Duran Duran concert, and she is doing her "Happy Dance."  

Nick gets off the elevator at LSP looking around a little furtivley. He's got a bouquet in his hand. As he nears her desk on his way to Lulu's office, Barbara, seeing the floweres, grins and asks, "So Nick, who's the lucky girl?"

"They're for Lulu," he replies.

Before he gets any further, the elevator door opens again, and this time a guy approaches Barbara's desk (Nick hands the flowers to Barbara who hides them in her desk) asking "Can anyone tell me where Louisa Archer's office is?"

Barbara directs him, and when he enters, we see a surprised Lulu jump up and give him a big kiss and hug of welcome and surprise.

Barbara has handed the flowers back to Nick, who seeing Lulu's & Brian's embrace, drops them back on her desk and walks away.

[Ginne]

Next we see the conference room at F&A. Nick and Burton are representing an electrical parts (or appliances, or something, I'm not sure) company, who is in the middle of contract negotiations with its employees and the union. Nuff said about that for now.

Later, after the meeting is over, we see Nick and Jake in the hallway. Jake is explaining to Nick about how he asked out the girl he had been telling Nick about--the one at the cosmetic counter--and how he has GOT to find two tickets to tonight's Duran Duran concert, 'cause he sort of told her he had tickets.

Nick looks him squarely in the eye, and tells him to go talk to Barbara Ludzinski. "Barbara who?," is Jake's obvious question, and Nick reminds him that she's the redhead who's the secretary over at Legal Services. He explains she just won two tickets and might be able to help him out.

As Nick gets to the conference room to do some work, he finds a surprise waiting for him. . .

[Ginne]

It's Minette, his old girlfriend from when he worked for Swann & Cranston in New York. It seems she's an actress, and she's in Pittsburgh auditioning for a role in an Ibsen play, and she decided to drop in and see Nick.

Nick, who's just a little distracted right now with work and Lulu, isn't overly overjoyed to see her, but they make a date for later.

Now back to LSP . . .

[Ginne]

Nick has a client, an emigrant woman named Mrs. Braczyk, whose son is suing her for emancipation. He's sixteen and he has moved out of their apartment, in with his pregnant girlfriend (who is much older), and he wants to quit school and marry the girl. Mrs. Braczyk tells Nick that she doesn't even believe the baby is his, just that the girl has latched on to him because he has a good job.

Nick asks if her son has ever been in any trouble (he has, but extremely minor), anything like that. He then tells Mrs. Braczyk he'll see her at the courthouse the next morning.

[Ginne]

In our next scene, we see naked Nick stretched out in bed in Minette's hotel room! :drool: :drool:

Minette, who is donning his shirt, and he are chatting about what has transpired since they parted ways five years before.

Here's where my own opinion may leak in just a bit!!  

Apparently, things were pretty serious between them, because at the time he left they were looking for an apartment to share (IMHO, they may not have been as serious as she obviously thought they were), when Nick gets an offer from Burton to work for F&A, drops everything, and moves back to Pittsburgh.

[Ginne]

As the conversation progresses, Minette confesses that she's tired of the life she's been leading, and is starting to like the idea of settling down and maybe having some kids. And (she doesn't put it exactly this way, but this is what she means  ) maybe they can pick right back up where they left off, and she and Nick can be the ones to settle down and have those kids.

Nick doesn't say no, but you can tell that he's not really comfortable with this conversation and that Minette isn't really the one he's thinking about right now.

[Ginne]

Next morning, we are in the courtroom for the emancipation hearing for Mrs. Braczyk's son. Nick has her on the stand explaining why she doesn't want her son emancipated. When he asks her something about her job, she explains that she is currently on strike from the XX Electrical Company (I can't remember the name, sorry), and that her son is one of the scab workers who has crossed the picket line.

Nick is clearly shocked to hear where she works, and immediately explains to the judge that he must recuse himself from acting as Mrs. Braczyk's attornery, that there is a conflict of interest of which he had been unaware until now.

[Ginne]

After the hearing (in which the kid was emancipated), Nick and Mrs. Braczyk are out in the hallway where he is explaining to her why he had to step down.

She understands, and appologizes for not telling him where she worked. She then tells him she appreciates his help. She also tells him that not all of the workers are behind the union leader, who is keeping the contract with the electrical company from being approved. She says the guy has political aspirations, and that he's doing this to get attention.

[mb20]

Nick brought Lulu flowers .. LOL.  Was that just out of the blue ?  Or, I mean, right after last week's kiss ?  Didn't they spring this Nick-Lulu thing up a bit suddenly.  I mean .. even though we were expecting it since Lulu entered the picture .. it was just the tiny little peck on the cheek .. and the next week flowers and Nick's all gaga over Lulu ?? ..


I like it when your opinion leaks in ..

[Ginne]

Nick high-tails it back to F&A where he tells Burton what Mrs. Braczyk has told him about worker support for the shop steward (union leader). Burton is quite interested in this bit of info!

We'll skip a meeting between Nick and the shop steward at a bar--boring stuff.  ;D

Back at LSP, Jake has come by to see if he can buy Barbara's Duran Duran tickets. Nick comes in during Jake's explanation as to why he wants them, and pal that he is, tells Barbara about the girl at the cosmetic counter that Jake is trying to impress.

Barbara tells Jake that they're not for sale, sorry. As he starts to walk away, she says, Hey, forget about her--she's not really interested in you anyway, come to the concert with me--as friends, we'll have a great time."

Jake, surprised at first, agrees.

[Ginne]

Be patient, GB! The flowers are explained later!!!

As soon as Jake leaves, Lulu pops out of her office. She says she and Brian are going to the Opera tonight, and she wants to take him dancing afterwards, can Nick suggest a good place to go dancing?

Barbara, full of bon hommie, says "Hey, why don't we all meet up at the Incline after the concert and the opera? About 10.30? Come on, it'll be fun!" Lulu and Nick (who looks like he'd rather swallow rat poison with a hemlock chaser) agree.

[mb20]

OOPS .. :happysmile:

Hey, is Duran Duran that boyband from the 80's ?  
I didn't know they were still around.  And I certainly didn't know that people were still going to their concerts .. :lol:

What's Bon Hommie ?

[Ginne]

We'll skip the meeting at the factory where Nick talks to Mrs. Braczyk outside in the picket line.

Nick and Minette show up at the Incline that night. Lulu and Brian are already there, waiting. Introductions are made, and it comes out that Minette is an actress.

She also tells them that she and Nick met while he was working in New York at Swann & Cranston. This is news to Lulu, who had no idea Nick had worked at such a large and prestigious firm.

Nick brushes aside her questions about it and instead asks about the opera. He comments that he thought that Lulu hated classical music. She replies that, well, Brian likes it.

Nick states that he hates classical music. Meanwhile Brian and Minette are trying to carryon a rather stilted conversation while their respective dates are verbally sparring.

Basically, Nick manages to turn the conversation just to Lulu and Brian. This is where we get the famous "Lulu's very passionate . . . in the courtroom" quote when Nick asks Brian if he's ever seen Lulu at work. He tells Brian, "Well, you should."

Obviously, the conversation is just getting lovelier and lovelier!  

Nick continues grilling Lulu, asking her why she's thinking about marrying Brian when they have nothing in common, etc., until finally Lulu just stands up and says "We're leaving" and leads the puzzled Brian out behind her.

Minette is also confused. As Brian and Lulu are stomping out, in pop Jake and Barbara, wearing matching Duran Duran t-shirts. They've had a marvelous time!!! They ask what's up, and Nick mumbles something and he and Minette leave.

[Ginne]

Duran Duran is still around, but you don't hear much about them.

bon hommie is French for good will